Utrecht to Amsterdam

Utrecht is a city in The Netherlands which is located in the EU and Schengen community. Utrecht offers the following points of interest for tourists and photographers;

Dom Tower (and view of the city)

Nuede – Utrecht Central Square

Oudegracht canal and reflection photography

University Hall

Rietveld Schröder House UNESCO world heritage site

Pieterskerk Gothic Church

Various museums such as Centraal and Railway museum

Castle De Haar

Various museums

You can easily visit Utrecht on a day trip from Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague. If you do decide to stay over, you’ll find lots of good value hotels.

Dom Tower, Utrecht

The city of Utrecht dates back to the 1st century when Romans first settled here. Dom Tower is the symbol of Utrecht and the highest church tower in The Netherlands. The church which is known as the Cathedral of Saint Martin dates back to the 7th century. Dom Tower was built in the 14th century and used to be joined onto the church. In 1674 the nave of the church was destroyed by a storm and has never been repaired which makes the Cathedral of Saint Martin and the Dom Tower very unique.

Nuede, Central Square, Utrecht

The central square of Utrecht is known in Dutch as the Nuede. The Nuede is surrounded by traditional Dutch buildings, restaurants and bars. Foodies will find plenty of eating options around here and the Dom Tower offers the perfect view whilst sitting on the square. In the summer months this is a popular place to go and enjoy a few beers. In The Netherlands they like to drink the beer cold which means the beer is served in 0.25 cl sized glasses, they are concerned that if they drink from a 0.5 cl glass the last few mouthfuls of beer will be warm.

University Hall, Utrecht

Opposite Dom Tower is the Utrecht University Hall. Utrecht is a university town and this photographic building is the heart of Utrecht University. Around the corner from University Hall is the UNESCO world heritage site of Rietveld Schröder House. The Rietveld Schröder House was built in 1924 by Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld and is an example of the development of architecture in the modern age. It’s not the most beautiful building like the University Hall but is worth visiting because of it’s status as a UNESCO site and the fact that it is the first modern apartment.

Clogs, Utrecht

Clogs are a symbol of The Netherlands, I presumed they were only for women but there are clogs for men too (above). Clogs don’t look to be the comfiest piece of footwear on the market, I prefer my Nike sneakers to walk around a city in. In Utrecht you’ll find other typical Dutch items to photograph such as Dutch bikes, canals and Dutch buildings.

Dom Tower, Utrecht

The Dom Tower looks amazing from all over the city. There is another building in Utrecht which competes with Dom Tower for it’s beauty, the largest castle in The Netherlands, Kasteel de Haar. Kasteel de Haar is on the outskirts of the city and you’ll need transport to get there. Information on how to get to the castle is available on the Kasteel de Haar website.

Train from Utrecht to Amsterdam, 22 minutes

Utrecht Centraal Train Station a is brand new station attached to a brand new shopping mall, it’s very impressive. Trains to Amsterdam are very regular, take less than 30 minutes and cost less than €10. There is free Wifi on all trains in The Netherlands, you should have a pleasant journey.

Utrecht looks very pretty. I have never heard of it before, but it definitely looks like it would be worth visiting… especially since it’s so close to Amsterdam. I love visiting the smaller or lesser known towns in Europe.

Utrecht looks so cute. I’m headed to the Netherlands in April and plan on visiting Utrecht, along with the Hague and Lisse. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Amsterdam but I’m hoping that the smaller towns are a little more charming.

Hey. I read this at a perfect time. I am planning a trip to Amsterdam later in the year and I am all about the day trips. I am thankful to read that I can travel somewhere with so much to see, and seeing a heritage site is not a bad bucket list item to check off. Thanks

Utrecht looks fab! It has many similarities to Amsterdam in the buildings and canals. Wow, dating back to the 1st century – that is impressive. I love old cities that began with Roman settlers, the legends usually are quite interesting. Next time I head to Amsterdam I will be sure to do a day trip here and have a cool beer 🙂

The main square looks so colourful, kind of like a little toy town. Love the little tidbit of info about the beer, so funny!
I had no idea there’s free wifi on all trains in the Netherlands! If that’s not a big enough draw to pull me back to the country, I don’t know what is.

I remember driving through Utrecht many years ago and remember seeing the colourful buildings in the centre but didn’t spend long enough to appericate the city. I am going that direction next month (whilst celebrating KingsDay of course) so hope to spend longer here. 🙂

It sounds like Utrecht is totally worth visiting while in the Netherlands, especially considering it is only 30 minutes by train. The buildings look amazing, I really love all the bright colors. Plus I’m sure there is a lot of Roman influence in the architecture considering Utrecht’s history.

Sounds like a really interesting day trip! I agree that those clogs don’t really look very comfortable. I’m assuming thats more of a tourist thing and the locals don’t really wear them except for festivals/history lessons. But I’ve never been to the Netherlands so maybe everyone wears them 😉

Utrecht looks from your pictures like a great spot in the Netherlands to visit. I am very found of the Netherlands and therefore always interested in reading your posts. I have never heard of Utrecht prior to your post, but would love to visit and walk around the centre square, Nuede. Thanks for sharing.

Its my first time to hear about Utrecht and havent been to that place either. Yet I aim to visit Netherlands because of Amsterdam, should note on this as there is a chance to view this beautiful place.

Such a pretty city! I love the view of the Dom tower with the lights coming on in the shops – very atmospheric! I think I’d have to pick up some clogs as a souvenir! I’ll definitely visit Utrecht whenI go to the Netherlands.

I love that this post gets so many comments on the city Utrecht and that for a lot of people this is a new thing to read about. Being from such a small country as the Netherlands it’s not that often that people know or even recognize other cities than Amsterdam. Also, great pictures of Utrecht, it’s a bit similar to Amsterdam isn’t it, but also so, so different!